
Fort William and Mary
Fort William and Mary was a colonial-era British fortress on the island of New Castle, at the mouth of the Piscataqua River in the Province of New Hampshire. A short trip away is Strawbery Banke, 2.3 mi off. Its mildest months, May to September, bring highs of 65–80°F.
A landmark inside New Castle
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 16°, with about 65" of snow a year. When to go ↓
Rye is the nearest base
Rye is 3 miles south, with 8 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Boston
Boston is about 53 miles south (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep
May, June, July, August and September are the mild months, with highs of 65–80°. When to go ↓
An airport 6 miles away
Portsmouth International Airport at Pease (PSM) has airline service, about 6 miles from Fort William and Mary.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
The climate here
Plan a visit to Fort William and Mary around the weather below.
Fort William and Mary
Fort William and Mary was a colonial-era British fortress on the island of New Castle, at the mouth of the Piscataqua River in the Province of New Hampshire. Originally known as "The Castle," it was renamed Fort William and Mary circa 1692, after the accession of William III and Mary II to the British throne. During the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) it was captured by rebel forces, recaptured, and later abandoned by the British. Following an 1808 rebuilding in response to increasing British hostilities, it was renamed Fort Constitution and served in the War of 1812. Another rebuilding and expansion was carried out in the wake of the Spanish-American War in 1899. The fort served actively through the first half of the 20th century and World War II.
- Type
- Landmark
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1973)
- Wikipedia readers
- 6.2K a year
Nights near Fort William and Mary
For a bed close by, look to Portsmouth (38) and York (54).
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Fort William and Mary | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Castle | in town | — | 1 1 inn or B&B | 997 | $1,701K | — |
| Portsmouth | 4 mi west | 5 min | 38 31 hotels · 1 motel · 5 inns & B&Bs · 1 campground | 23,028 | $689K | B− |
| York 34% vacation homes | 9 mi northeast | 15 min | 54 18 hotels · 7 motels · 18 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 5 campgrounds · 3 RV parks | 14,293 | $636K | A |
| Hampton 21% vacation homes | 11 mi southwest | 15 min | 63 35 hotels · 17 motels · 8 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground | 16,381 | $550K | B+ |
| Ogunquit 64% vacation homes | 13 mi northeast | 20 min | 66 23 hotels · 12 motels · 29 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins | 1,606 | $876K | B |
| Wells 43% vacation homes | 17 mi north | 25 min | 71 20 hotels · 17 motels · 5 inns & B&Bs · 8 lodges & cabins · 16 campgrounds · 5 RV parks | 12,094 | $485K | B+ |
| Rye | 3 mi south | 5 min | 8 3 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins | 5,689 | $1,028K | A+ |
| Kittery | 7 mi southeast | 10 min | 9 4 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins | 11,420 | $469K | B+ |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Other places close by
A wider trip can take in these, within 55 miles.
Big draw54 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw54 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
48 mi LakeLake Winnipesaukee
54 mi LakeWalden Pond
52 mi AttractionFreedom Trail
12 mi MuseumStrawbery Banke
53 mi Stadium & arenaHarvard Stadium
54 mi MuseumMuseum of Fine Arts Boston477K visitors a yearPhoto credits
Fenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Sean Dungan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Winnipesaukee: No machine-readable author provided. JohnJHenderson~commonswiki assumed (based o, Public domain · Walden Pond: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Freedom Trail: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Strawbery Banke: Ken Gallager (Ken Gallager from en.wikipedia), Public domain · Harvard Stadium: Nick Allen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Museum of Fine Arts Boston: Martin~jawiki at Japanese Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
What people ask about Fort William and Mary
Is Fort William and Mary in New Castle?
Yes. It’s inside New Castle, NH.
When is the best time to visit Fort William and Mary?
May, June, July, August and September, with highs of 65–80°.
How far is Fort William and Mary from Boston?
About 53 miles south of Boston, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Fort William and Mary?
Portsmouth International Airport at Pease (PSM), about 6 miles away. The nearest big hub is Portland International Jetport (PWM), about 45 miles.
Where should I stay near Fort William and Mary?
Portsmouth (4 mi, 38 places to stay), York (9 mi, 54 places to stay) and Hampton (11 mi, 63 places to stay).
Advice from New Castle
Nobody has posted a tip yet; ask or answer in New Castle’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.